{
  "id": "RS21314",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS21314",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 103116,
      "date": "2003-04-11",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:48:28.376544",
      "title": "International Law and the Preemptive Use of Force Against Iraq",
      "summary": "On March 19, 2003, the United States, aided by Great Britain and Australia, initiated a military\ninvasion of Iraq. Both the U.S. and Great Britain contended that they had sufficient legal authority\nto use force against Iraq pursuant to Security Council resolutions adopted in 1990 and 1991. But\nPresident Bush also contended that, given the \"nature and type of threat posed by Iraq,\" the U.S. had\na legal right to use force \"in the exercise of its inherent right of self defense, recognized in Article\n51 of the U.N. Charter.\" Given that the U.S. had not previously been attacked by Iraq, that\ncontention raised questions about the permissible scope of the preemptive use of force under\ninternational law. This report examines that issue as it has developed in customary international law\nand under the United Nations Charter. It will be updated as events warrant. (For historical\ninformation on the preemptive use of force by the U.S.,  see   CRS Report RS21311 ,\n U.S. Use of\nPreemptive Military Force .)",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc820045/",
      "id": "RS21314_2003Mar17",
      "date": "2003-03-17",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "International Law and the Preemptive Use of Force Against Iraq",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs2546/",
      "id": "RS21314 2002-09-23",
      "date": "2002-09-23",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-11T05:21:00",
      "title": "International Law and the Preemptive Use of Force Against Iraq",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Defense policy",
          "name": "Defense policy"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "International law",
          "name": "International law"
        },
        {
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          "id": "Military operations",
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          "id": "International affairs",
          "name": "International affairs"
        }
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}